Whittemore House, 6440 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton, MO.Photo byWhittemore House at WU via Facebook.

The Haarstick-Whittemore Houses at 6420 and 6440 Forsyth Boulevard in Clayton, Missouri were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1982. They're more commonly known as the University House and the Faculty Conference Center and are owned by Washington University.

The two homes were commissioned to be built by Henry C. Haarstick as gifts for his daughters. Later, the Whittemore family owned them. The architectural style of the 6420 home is Georgian Revival and the one at 6440 is Tudor Revival. The architect was James P. Jamieson.

Interestingly, the original cost for the design and construction of these houses in 1912 was $47,049. That would be $1,525,649 in today's dollars. The houses are across the street from the Washington University Hilltop Campus. (The Washington University Hilltop Campus Historic District is also on the National Register.)

Emma Haarstick and her husband, Clinton Whittemore Sr., lived at the house at 6420 Forsyth, and Ida Haarstick and her husband, Oscar Herf, lived at the house at 6440 Forsyth. Henry Haarstick and his wife, Elise, lived with Ida and her husband until he died in 1919.

When St. Louis had a strong role in the national economy, Haarstick, Herf, and Whittemore were successful businessmen.

Architect James P. Jamieson (1867-1941)

Jamieson was a native of Falkirk, Scotland. He emigrated to Philadelphia when he was 17. While there, he became associated with the architectural firm of Cope and Stewardson starting as a draftsman. As the first recipient of the University of Pennsylvania Traveling Scholarship, he studied in Europe for a year.

When Cope and Stewardson won a competition for the design of Washington University, Jamieson was in charge of the St. Louis office. He supervised the construction of the first buildings.

Jamieson returned to Philadelphia after Walter Cope died in 1902. He still managed a practice in St. Louis and returned there permanently in 1912.

Haarstick House, 6420 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton, MO.Photo byGoogle Maps screenshot.

The Haarstick Houses were among the earliest Jamieson designed under his name. In 1918, George Spearl became his partner. They made additions to the university and designed more than 20 buildings for the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Jamieson and Spearl performed work for other educational and medical institutions. Their residential architecture involved large homes that were meticulously detailed. The houses were in private subdivisions considered upper-class neighborhoods at that time.

Main staircase of the University House.Photo byE. Hamilton via NRHP Nomination Form.

Henry Christian Haarstick

Emma and Ida's father was born in 1836 in Germany. He arrived in St. Louis in 1849 with his parents. When he was young, he married Elise Hoppe and worked in a distillery. He was a partner in a distillery by 1862. By 1864, he acquired full ownership.

In 1867, Haarstick sold the business and purchased stock in the Mississippi Valley Transportation Company. This company operated barges from St. Louis to New Orleans. He became that company's president by 1869 which was when it was on the verge of bankruptcy. But instead, with Haarstick's abilities, the company flourished.

By 1874, the Mississippi Valley Transportation Company was the country's largest barge line. In 1881, the company merged with three competitors and formed the St. Louis and Mississippi Valley Transportation Company. Haarstick stayed in his role as president until 1904. Haarstick's son, William, was the company's vice president until he died in 1909 of a heart attack. He was only 44.

Ida Haarstick Herf died in 1924 and her husband, Oscar, died four years later. They had no children, so their house was left to the children of Emma and Clinton Whittemore Sr. According to the Find-a-Grave record, they had three children: Henry H. Whittemore, Clinton Whittemore Jr., and Elise Haarstick Whittemore Case.

Photo byWhittemore House at WU via Facebook.

Henry Whittemore purchased the shares of his sister and brother of the former Herf residence at 6440 Forsyth. When he died in 1960, his estate was valued at more than $2 million. When Emma Haarstick Whittemore died in 1958, her children gave the house at 6420 Forsyth to Washington University. It was used as the Chancellor's residence and later the University House.

In 1966, Henry Whittemore's widow also donated their house at 6440 Forsyth to Washington University. It was named Whittemore House. It was used as the Alumni Club until 1969. After dining and kitchen facilities were added to the house, it has served as the Faculty Conference Center. The house at 6420 Forsyth is known as Harbison House, or the Chancellor's House.

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